One in 10 Dutch 18yr olds opened gambling accounts on their birthday

The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) has released three comprehensive studies revealing a trend in gambling becoming a socially normalised pastime among minors and young adults in the Netherlands well before reaching the legal age of 18. 

The findings saw a surge in account registrations as these minors turned 18 and variations in gambling behaviour by age.

The birthday effect

Analysing new account registrations from 1-7 May 2025, KSA’s control database uncovered 15,761 newly funded gambling accounts. 

Findings demonstrated that young adults aged 18-24 comprise 33% of new accounts; notably, 41% of these accounts are opened by newly turned 18-year-olds.

There was also a pronounced surge in account registrations on or shortly after their 18th birthday. 

In 2024-25, 11% of accounts opened by 18-year-olds were registered on their birthday, and 38% within a month.

Contrary to assumptions that sports betting leads, 72% of young adult accounts began with casino games, while only 11% started with sports betting.

The report found that young adults averaged four gambling days per month in their first quarter, with median daily stakes notably lower than those of older adults (€111 vs €209). 

Among young adults, 18-year-olds gamble more frequently but with lower stakes compared to 19-24-year-olds.

Accounts starting with casino-only or sport-only products tended to stay consistent in month two, while dual-product accounts frequently switched to casino-only.

Early exposure and social normalisation

One study, Kansspelreis < 18 jaar in beeld, conducted by Youngworks and commissioned by ZonMw, used qualitative methods involving 50 young people aged 16 to 21. 

The results showed that initial contact with gambling commonly occurred between the ages of 8 and 12, often through family activities such as Christmas scratchcards, lotteries and casual betting games at home. 

Crucially, most participants did not identify these early experiences as gambling at the time.

Between the ages of 12 and 14, independent gambling typically begins and is predominantly social in nature. Group activities include betting with friends, poker games and football-related “toto” pools. 

The report found that this social environment fostered a strong normalisation of the behaviour. Notably, minors often circumvent age restrictions by sharing online gambling accounts operated by older friends or family members, pooling money via mobile payment apps such as Tikkie.

Popular platforms cited include TOTO, Bet365, BetCity and Unibet, alongside frequent exposure to gambling advertising across TikTok, sports broadcasts and outdoor venues – channels with notable youth audiences. 

In June, the cabinet proposed a near-total ban on online gambling advertising, with only narrow exceptions. 

“I find it particularly concerning that more and more people, and especially young people, have started gambling online and are getting into trouble as a result,” Van Bruggen said announcing the measures in June. “It is high time to reverse this trend.” 

Participants expressed surprise at the presence of state lotteries’ advertising on youth-oriented media.

Dutch students gambled infrequently

The second study scrutinised survey data from 29,724 MBO students (a type of school after secondary school) aged 15 to 24 during 2024-26. 

Of the participants around 32% reported gambling in the past year; this included 28% of minors (15-17 years) and 39% of adults (18+).

Most students gambled infrequently, with “once or a few times a year” being most common (74% of minors, 61% of adults). However, 10% gamble monthly or more.

Minors mostly engaged with physical products, scratchcards (46%), bingo (34%), or slot machines (28%), while 18+ students favour casino games (46%), scratchcards (35%) and sports betting (32%).

Nearly half of minors gamble solely through physical outlets; young adults increasingly combine physical and online channels.

About half of the minors and two-thirds of adults who gamble participate in high-risk products (casino games, sports betting, slot machines). Approximately 2% show signs of gambling-related harm, correlated with online involvement and multi-product use.

Among non-gamblers, 90% do not intend to start gambling; however, males report higher intentions to begin.

The fight for minimum age to be changed

Local politician Meryam Sümer of the CDA (Christian Democratic Party) recently called for a raise of the minimum age for online gambling from 18 to 24. This was a response to a recent finding that one in five young individuals in Enschede is currently in debt.  

“The key is to reduce temptations,” she said, advocating for tighter regulation to shield youth from exposure that may lead to problematic gambling or debt accumulation.

This was not without its controversy. The KSA’s chairman warned against such changes, suggesting that youngsters would be more tempted towards the black market. 

“We already see minors doing so. And for young people under 21, the illegal supply will still be accessible with a few mouse clicks, while they will no longer be able to enter legal parties, which must adhere to a strict duty of care,” he wrote in a blog in February 2025.

Kathryn Evans

Kathryn covers bitesize breaking news with a primary focus on EMEA and US legislation. A proud North Walian, fluent Welsh speaker and lifelong Wrexham FC fan – long before Hollywood came calling.